Bengal: Trains escape tragic collision

India

Nitsi

Posted By: Nitsi

Published: Monday, August 23, 2010, 13:15 [IST]

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Sankrail(Howrah), Aug 23: A major tragedy was averted when two passenger trains hurtling towards the same track screeched to a halt within 100 metres of each other at Sankrail station in Howrah on Sunday, Aug 22.

It appears, the motorman of the P35 Howrah-Panskura EMU local overshot the home signal — which clears trains for platforms — at Sankrail around 3.16 pm and risked the lives of hundreds.

While the motorman, identified as Khan, stopped his train on realizing the mistake, and applied emergency brakes on the Howrah-bound East Coast Express.

Angry passengers attacked the driver although he admitted his error. Train services remained suspended for three hours. Local railway officials rushed to the spot from Kharagpur and watched the mob fury from a distance.